Can opener aid



1956 M. TElTELBAUM 2,

CAN OPENER AID Filed July 30, 1954 J WZ' v INVENTOR. 2101/54 1 fswiaafly y MYMM ' United States Patent This invention relates to can opening devices. In opening a can of beer or other type of can provided with a rim around the upper portion thereof, it is a relatively simple operation when employing a customary can opener of the type including a hat bar for leverage,

a hook depending from the bar adapted to engage the rim and a pointed end adapted to puncture the top of the can. However, certain cans, for example, cans of evaporated milk are devoid of such rims in which case the conventional can opener cannot be employed without difiiculty and danger of accidents, since no rim is provided for engagement by the depending hook of the can opener.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a device to be employed with conventional can openers when opening cans which are not provided with rims and which greatly facilitate the opening operation.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device adapted to be used with conventional can openers which eliminates the danger of injury due to slippage of the can opener.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a device to ,be employed with can openers bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, has a minimum number of parts, is easy to use and efficient in operation.

For other objects and a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention, shown alone;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1 and showing the device in operative use to open a can of evaporated milk in combination with a conventional can opener; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective .view of the device being employed in operative use in the manner of Fig. 2.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings, represents a can of evaporated milk or other suitable material of the type devoid of a rim around the top thereof, which rim would normally be employed by the depending hook 11 of a conventional can opener 12 having a puncturing pointed end 13, substantially as illustrated. Normally the hook 11 would engage the rim of the can while the pointed end 13 of the can opener is forced downwardly through the top of the can by leverage of the handle portion 12.

In the practice of the present invention, a device is provided for facilitating the use of the can opener 12' on cans not provided with an upper rim and includes a bar of L-shaped configuration and including the arm 14 and the arm 15 of dilferent lengths. The outer face of the arm 15 near the free end thereof is provided with a transverse slit 16 of substantially V-shaped cross section forming a ledge 17 adapted to receive thereunder the hook 11 (Fig. 2). The arm 14 on the outer face thereof 2,770,876 Patented Nov. 20, 1956 'ice near the free end is similarly provided with a transverse slot 18 of substantially V-shaped cross section providing a similarledge 19 under which the depending hook 11 may be received when the arm 14 is disposed against the side of a shortened can, as shown in Fig. 3.

In operation, the can 10 is placed on the base portion 14 while the vertical portion 15 is held securely to the can between the thumb and fingers. The depending hook 11 of the can opener 12 is then inserted under the ledge 17 which latter provides a rim and the can opener may then be used in the usual manner without danger of slippage or accidents. Thus, the ledge 17 becomes a rim for those cans not provided with the same, permitting cans of evaporated milk or the like to be opened in the same manner as cans of beer. When the arm 15 is disposed in the vertical position of Fig. 2, it will be apparent that the device is adapted for cans of relatively great height. However, the device may also be employed for cans of shortened height (Fig. 3) by simply reversing the arms, as will be obvious.

Instead of providing the transverse slits 16 and 18 the arms 15 and 14 near their free ends may be provided with rectangular opening therethrough for a similiar purpose, the upper edge of the openings being slanted upwardly to provide a ledge to be engaged by the hook 11.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of my invention, what is claimed is:

1. An article of the class described comprising a substantially L-shaped flat bar having a horizontal and a vertical portion adapted to receive thereagainst the bottom and sides of a rimless can, the outside of said vertical arm near the upper end thereof being formed with a ledge adapted to receive thereunder the hook of a conventional can opener, said horizontal and vertical arms being of different length whereby to adopt the device by inverting the same to both short and tall cans, said horizontal arm on the outside thereof near the free end thereof being provided with a ledge adapted to receive thereunder the depending hook of a can opener.

2. An article according to claim 1, said vertical arm on the outer face thereof remote from said horizontal arm near the upper end thereof having a transverse slit of substantially V-shaped cross section forming a ledge intermediate said slit and said free end, said ledge having an upwardly sloping undersurfa-ce.

3. An article according to claim 2, said horizontal arm on the outer face thereof remote from said vertical arm near the free end thereof having a transverse slit of substantially V-shaped cross section providing. a ledge intermediate said slit and said free end and having an upwardly sloping undersurface.

4. An article according to claim 1, said vertical arm near the free end thereof having a rectangular opening therethrough providing a ledge intermediate said opening and the free end of said vertical arm, the undersurface of said ledge being sloped upwardly, said horizontal arm on the face thereof remote from said vertical arm near the free end thereof having a substantially rectangular opening providing a ledge intermediate said opening and said free end, said ledge having an upwardly inclined undersurface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 470,024 Welch Mar. 1, 1892 

